who thinks of nothing living but herself!--All talkèe talkèe!--I begin to be weary of her.----Gentlemen,” continued his lordship, “I’ve letters to write this morning.----You’ll ride--you’ll walk--you’re for the billiard-room, I suppose.----Mr. Vivian, I shall find you in my study, I hope, an hour hence; but first I have a little business to settle.” With evident embarrassment Lord Glistonbury retired. Lady Glistonbury, Lady Sarah, and Miss Strictland, each sighed; then, with looks of intelligence, rose and retired. The company separated soon afterwards; and went to ride, to walk, or to the billiard-room, and Vivian to the study, to wait there for Lord Glistonbury, and to meditate upon what might be the nature of his lordship’s business. As Vivian crossed the gallery, the door of Lady Glistonbury’s dressing-room opened, and was shut again instantaneously by Miss Strictland; but not before he saw Lady Julia kneeling at her father’s feet, whilst Lady Glistonbury and Lady Sarah were standing like statues, on each side of his lordship. Vivian waited a full hour afterwards in tedious suspense in the study. At last he heard doors open and footsteps, and he judged that the family council had broken up; he laid down a book, of which he had read the same page over six times, without any one of the words it contained having conveyed a single idea to his mind. Lord Glistonbury came in, with papers and parchments in his hands. “Mr. Vivian, I am afraid you have been waiting for me--have a thousand pardons to ask--I really could not come any sooner--I wished to speak to you--Won’t you sit down?--We had better sit down quietly--there’s no sort of hurry.”